PEARL OF AFRICA

I am writing this entry after we have settled into our new home for the next three weeks. We arrived safely in Ggaba at our hotel exactly at midnight. It was a long and frustrating flight and we all arrived exhausted and weary from the 24 hour journey. From Amsterdam we traveled another seven hours to Kigali, Rwanda where we picked up more passnegers and then another hour of flying until we reached Entebbe. We were warmly greeted and welcomed by Gail Fones from Buy-A-Net Canada along with colleague Sarah from BAN Uganda and new partner Katie Agostina from 'Spread the Net'. After we picked up our luggage we were then whisked away in a minibus taxi that would take us to our final destination at Ggaba Lakeview Inn.

It is approximately an hour journey from Entebbe to Ggaba passing through Kampala en route. The driving is fast and aggressive, the air clammy with a lingering heat (~20 degrees) and the scent of burning garbage permeates. A brief outtake at the Friday night happenings on the streets of Kampala made this exact moment quickly a reality - We have arrived in Africa! There are street hawkers and shop stalls selling who knows what, fired-up barbeque carts grilling things that I will soon embark on, late night pharmacies with sleepy chemists and block gatherings with music blaring to keep the party going. Boda-bodas (motorbike taxis) whizzing through the maze of traffic and people, and goodness there are so many people! It's a familiar scene but not one that we are used to seeing back home. Oh! The excitement is brewing..

The night is black but through the darkness one can see how red the earth beneath our feet truly is - Mother Africa it is truly a sight!

As this extraordinary journey begins to unfold I am ever grateful for this opportunity to be a part of this mission and for all the support that has been given towards the cause. Please be patient with my posts as there are no internet connections available at the hotel or nearby. Fortunately, for the community's best interests the old internet cafe in town has now been transformed into a medical clinic. So I will however be journaling all along but transcribing online at different times whenever I am fortunate to have online access.